I've lost another whole family in 1901

[Sandra Parker]

This is the second family group who have decided for some reason, not to appear in the 1901 census, this time on my mother's side.

John Chilvers, born 1864 Middlesex, wife Ellen, nee Britton, married in 1888, Hacklney, London. Children - George Chilvers, born 1889, Alice May Chilvers, born 1892, Nellie Chilvers, born 1895 (all born London) and Jack Chilvers, no known details.
Address in 1891 census 89 Wilmer Gardens, Shoreditch, Whitmore, London.

Sandra whose spectacled aura is still involved with the 12 days of Christmas.

[Waitabit]

Sandra did you find them in 1911? could they have emigrated?

[Coromandel]

Sadly it looks as if things went badly wrong for this family between 1891 and 1901.

A message on GenForum from 2000 says:

'My grandmother was Alice May Chilvers. Born to Ellen Britten (Chilvers) and John Chilvers. dob June 25, 1893. They lived at 56 Ivy Lane, Hoxton Old Town, County of London. I have a certified copy of entry of birth from Registration District Shoreditch. After her mother died, and father not able to care for her, Alice was taken in by the Stepney Union. On March 11, 1904 she was placed in Dr. Bernardo's Home , for emigration and she sailed for Canada on July 21, 1904. Ship was the S.S. Southwark. Siblings were George, Nellie, Jack.'

https://
genforum.genealogy.com/uk/messages/18165.html

The Library and Archives Canada database of 'British children emigrated to Canada by authority of Boards of Guardians' confirms that an 11 year old Alice Chilvers was sent to Canada in 1904 by Dr Barnardo's.

An online tree has Alice's mother Ellen dying in 1898. According to the same tree, daughter Ellen aged 5 was in the Sidney Road Children's Homes, Homerton on the 1901 census:

https://www.
horrocksgenealogy.com/ourfamily/getperson.php?personID=I4756&tree=ourfamily

(RG 13/235, f.95)

Going back to Canada, FamilySearch does have a marriage for an Alice May Chilvers to Rowland Harrison in North Norwich, Oxford, Ontario on 27 Dec 1909. There is a niggle here though: her parents' names are given on the FamilySearch transcript as George Chilvers and Mary Selby. Was she a different Alice or are the names wrong? She was shown as 18, which would be a little older than expected for Sandra's Alice . . . though her husband was quite a bit older so perhaps they added a bit on to Alice's age to make the age gap seem smaller.

[malcolm99]

Are these 2 children yours as well?

1. Baptised in the parish of West Hackney 30th September 1888. “John Nathan (or Mason)” [sic] son of John & Nellie Chilvers of 1 Homsy[?] Cottage, Stoke Newington Common. Father’s occupation Bricklayer.

2. Baptised at St Columba’s Church, Haggerston, Middlesex on 25 February 1890. Henry son of John & Ellen Chilvers of 109 Hoxton Street. Father’s occupation: Labourer. Born 8 February 1890.

There is also a burial on ’Deceased online’ for an Alice May Chilvers on 6th November 1944 at West Ham Cemetery. This ties in with a death registration giving her age as 51 which is close to your birth date of 1892.

[Coromandel]

From Reynolds's Newspaper, 20 September 1896, under the heading 'Yesterday's Police Cases'

A MISSING HUSBAND
At Worship-street a Mrs. Chilvers, wife of a bricklayer of Cropley-street, New North-road,
applied to Mr. Cluer to assist her in making known the disappearance of her husband,
John Chilvers, lately employed at Wharf-road, City-road. He left to go to his work at 8.30
on the morning of Wednesday last and did not return. On making inquiries she found he had
not stayed at the "job," but had told the foreman that he had another one at Golden-lane.
She had inquired there and found he had not been to the place and since the morning no trace
of him had been found. He had left her with three children and she was in absolute want.
Mr. Cluer directed inquiries to be made and subsequently gave relief to the woman and
referred her to the Press. She described her husband as a thick-set man, about 5ft. 3(?)in.
in height, of fair complexion with blue eyes, and wearing light cloth trousers and vest,
brown boots, and brown check coat. There were scars on the head, right cheek and left arm.

[malcolm99]

According to the same tree, daughter Ellen aged 5 was in the Sidney Road Children's Homes, Homerton on the 1901 census:

https://www.
horrocksgenealogy.com/ourfamily/getperson.php?personID=I4756&tree=ourfamily

(RG 13/235, f.95)

Going back to Canada, FamilySearch does have a marriage for an Alice May Chilvers to Rowland Harrison in North Norwich, Oxford, Ontario on 27 Dec 1909. There is a niggle here though: her parents' names are given on the FamilySearch transcript as George Chilvers and Mary Selby. Was she a different Alice or are the names wrong? She was shown as 18, which would be a little older than expected for Sandra's Alice . . . though her husband was quite a bit older so perhaps they added a bit on to Alice's age to make the age gap seem smaller.

In the Hackney Union Register of Children, Ellen Chilver’s nearest relative is given as Mrs Chilvers, Grandmother, of 7 Gurley Street, Bromley-by-Bow.

At 7 Gurley Street on the 1901 Census there are members of both the Selby and Chilvers families and I suspect a link can be traced from there [RG13/345 fol. 28 p. 47]. I’ve got to disappear for a while now but this would be worth following up.

[Coromandel]

In the Hackney Union Register of Children, Ellen Chilver’s nearest relative is given as Mrs Chilvers, Grandmother, of 7 Gurley Street, Bromley-by-Bow.

At 7 Gurley Street on the 1901 Census there are members of both the Selby and Chilvers families and I suspect a link can be traced from there [RG13/345 fol. 28 p. 47]. I’ve got to disappear for a while now but this would be worth following up.

That's looking very promising, malcolm99. There's a partial transcript of the 1901 census in the notes about George Chilvers on the above-mentioned family tree, from which I see that George (then aged 10) is shown as nephew of the head of household, John Selby.

From FreeBMD, there's a possible marriage in 1883, with John Selby and Mary Ann Chilvers appearing on the same page (Hackney district, vol. 1b, p.914).

It's interesting that the name Selby has appeared again: see details of Alice May Chilvers' marriage in post #3. Perhaps that is 'our' Alice after all and she just didn't know her parents' names: that wouldn't be surprising if she had been separated from them at an early age.

The online tree doesn't cite any sources for Ellen Chilvers' death (which was supposed to have been in Shoreditch in 1898). I can't find it on FreeBMD either.

[malcolm99]

1901 Census

Address: 7 Gurley Street, Bromley-by-Bow

RG13/345 fol. 28 . p. 47

John Selby, Head, married, 57, Time Keeper, City of London
May A Selby [sic] , Wife, married, 41, Dickleborough, Norfolk
Jessie Selby, daughter, single, 22, Stoke Newington
John Selby, son, 12, Stoke Newington
Beatrice Selby, daughter, 9, Stoke Newington
Harold Selby, son, 7, Bromley [by Bow]
George Selby, son, 5, Bromley [by Bow]
Sarah Chilvers, mother-in-law, widow, 61, Dickleborough, Norfolk
Roland Chilvers, adopted, single, 16, Brass Finisher, born Not Known
Fredereick Chilvers, Brother-in-Law, 16, Tinman, Stoke Newington
George Chilvers, nephew, 10, born Horton [Hoxton?].

So Ellen’s Grandmother must be Sarah.

The Childrens’ register doesn’t give Ellen’s exact age just her birth year which is slightly strange. Ellen’s father was a Congregationalist.
Ellen was in the Childrens Home twice. The first time she was admitted was 4 July 1901 and was discharged on 7 February 1902 “To Bridge School, Witham”. The second time she entered on 1 April 1903 and was discharged on 7 January 1904 “To C Homes for Boarding Out”.

[Coromandel]

1. Baptised in the parish of West Hackney 30th September 1888. “John Nathan (or Mason)” [sic] son of John & Nellie Chilvers of 1 Homsy[?] Cottage, Stoke Newington Common. Father’s occupation Bricklayer.

That all seems to fit, malcolm99, although his parents may have been fibbing about being married: according to the online tree I keep mentioning, John and Ellen married at Hackney parish church on 21 October 1888.

Perhaps he is the 7 year old John Chilvers whose death was registered in the Hackney district, Q3 1895. But if this was John & Ellen's son, where was he on the 1891 census? (Is he the missing 'Jack'?)

2. Baptised at St Columba’s Church, Haggerston, Middlesex on 25 February 1890. Henry son of John & Ellen Chilvers of 109 Hoxton Street. Father’s occupation: Labourer. Born 8 February 1890.

There's a birth registration for a Henry Chilvers in the Shoreditch district Q1 1890, and sadly also a death registration of an infant Henry Chilvers in the same district the following quarter.

[malcolm99]

...according to the online tree I keep mentioning, John and Ellen married at Hackney parish church on 21 October 1888.

Sorry Coromandel - I'm having an 'unstructured' day and so I'm not concentrating as I should!

I can confirm the marriage in Hackney Parish Church 21.10.1888>

John Chilvers, 24, Bachelor, Bricklayer, Clevedon Street, West Hackney, [father] Nathan Chilvers, Bricklayer
Ellen Britton, 22, Spinster, same address, [father] George Britton, Dead

Witnesses: Samuel Chilvers (nice bold signature) & Janie Wilks


I’ve also checked Hackney Workhouse Religious Creed records 1896-1899 but there’s no trace of Ellen Chilvers despite her being “in absolute want” (your #5). I wonder where she went for support? – unfortunately the Bromley Workhouse records don’t seem to be on Ancestry. I also want to find out more about Mr Cluer.

For what it’s worth (and I think very little!) a George Chilvers was living at 51 Wilmer Gardens in 1885 (see #1).

I promise I’ll get myself a little better organised later on today.